The invention relates generally to situations where a user wishes to position himself or herself safely for an extended period of time in a tree or on another vertical support for a better view of the surrounding area. More particularly, the invention relates to a safety and support garment which allows the user to comfortably be positioned in a vertical position either in a sitting or standing position with the ability to easily move completely around the tree.
Hunters and photographers frequently want to be positioned above the ground so as to obtain a better view of the surrounding territory while being out of the view of wildlife that is being hunted or photographed. Climbing or platform tree stands are well known for assisting a person in maintaining a position in a tree above the ground with the hands free to operate a camera, use a bow and arrow, rifle, shotgun, etc. Although most of the known tree stands provide some support for the user, they do not provide any security from falling and they restrict the mobility of the user while in the tree. Moreover, they are bulky to carry and difficult to install. Also, climbing tree stands that are commercially available can only be used with branch-less, straight trees that are of a specific diameter. Known platform stands require the user to carry the stand up the tree and secure it to the tree in a selected spot. Both types of stands demand that the user have considerable strength and agility, and neither stand secures the user to the tree, the user is placed in a vulnerable and unsafe position. Moreover, being of metal, these known stands are noisy to carry and install making them not well suited for hunting because they will frighten the game being hunted. Whether hunting or photographing, it is necessary to have both hands free, and it also highly desirable to be able to move completely around the tree quickly, easily and safely. Moreover, hunters and photographers often wait extended periods of time for the wildlife to appear in the area. Comfort and fatigue therefore become a factor. In addition, any garment or device designed to assist the hunter or photographer preferably should be easy to use, quiet and not bulky, and be easily carried or worn while on the ground without restricting the mobility of the user who must sometimes walk long distances to get to the desired secluded area.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a garment that will provide support and safety while assisting the user in climbing a tree and maintaining a position in the tree over an extended period of time.
It is the further object of the invention to provide a safety and support garment that provides comfort and safety by securing the user to the tree while providing versatility so that the user can position himself or herself anywhere around the tree and move from one position to another quickly and easily.
It is another object of the invention to provide a support and safety garment that can be worn on the ground with comfort and without in any way restricting the mobility of the user.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a safety and support garment that when worn on the ground provides lumbar support to the user and provides a ready seat to the user to insulate the user from cold or wet ground, for example.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a support and safety garment that is easy to use, relatively inexpensive, and which has a long useable life.
These and other objects and features of the invention will become more evident from the detailed description and accompanying drawings which fully disclose all the features and uses for the invention.